We see them all the time. Expiration dates or “best by” dates adorning the labels of all of our food products, from canned goods to lettuce. There are times that we decide to strictly adhere to the dates, such as mayonnaise. There are other times that we may choose to take our chances, like with a jar of pickles that… Read More

We teach our children from a very early age that if there is an emergency, they should call 911. However, there are many things about this simple statement that don’t go quite far enough. For example, when you call 911, you will be asked LOTS of questions. The caller needs to be able to identify their location, the emergency at… Read More

Your children see you whip out your card, often emblazoned with a Visa or Mastercard logo and swipe it at the store. The items you had in your cart are now free and clear for you to take home without concern that someone will stop you at the door for not paying your bill. Your children also see you use… Read More

When our children begin the process of learning to drive, we try to make sure they are well prepared for every situation. We might discuss defensive driving with them, talk to them about always being cautious while passing other drivers, and of course, to be diligent around school zones. Then one unsuspecting day, the phone rings and on the other… Read More

I walked into the living room just in time to see something that made my heart skip a beat. My 3-year-old was making a bridge with his body over our 3-month-old baby. It occurred to me at that moment that though I had told my son not to pick the baby up, I don’t know that I was explicit with… Read More

It seems that the faster the pace in the world around us, the more we lose touch with one and other. We are usually so busy scampering from this task to that that we often forget to make real connections with one and other, life just keeps zooming by at warp speed. The pleasantries of social interactions often get lost… Read More

Susie loved to help out in the kitchen, so her mother tried to get her involved as much as possible. One day, when Susie was helping with dinner, her mother noticed she used a kitchen towel to wipe up egg that had spilled when making omelets. Then, she hung the towel back up. “That towel is dirty now. Don’t you… Read More

My son was struggling in third grade with reading certain words. Before then, he always did okay with reading, spelling, and language arts. Now, he seemed to have a short attention span, and he needed extra instructions to understand. He struggled to pronounce certain words when reading out loud, and he sometimes struggled to use context clues to know what… Read More

Susie reached across the table for the serving bowl, calling out, “Give me it!” She jerked it out of her grandmother’s hands and shouted “mine!” Her mother scolded her, a horrified look on her face. She had tried to raise her daughter to be thoughtful and considerate. Susie should have known better than to act like that at the dinner… Read More

After my son helped prepare grilled cheese for his siblings for lunch, I watched as he was cleaning up. This is something we had been working on in homeschool for a while now and letting the children do things in the kitchen and around the home was a learning process for everyone. “Are you scrubbing the pan with a scouring… Read More